MotorCycle Sport & Leisure
The new normal
As I write this column it looks like the (first) peak of the coronavirus has passed, and we are now entering what has been dubbed the ‘new normal’. The following weeks and months will show what this brave new world is really like, but already now two things are clear: it’s new alright, but it doesn’t feel so normal.
From a motorcyclist’s point of view, it’s a mixed bag. Some changes are for the better – roads are quieter, petrol prices are low and the weather has been kind – but I’m not sure how long this will last. The downsides are that you can’t ride with more than one mate, cafés that we’d normally ride to aren’t open, and no matter where you go there seems to be a bit of a stigma about using a bike – it doesn’t seem as acceptable to some people as driving to a beauty spot in a car. I hope that these negatives are short-lived, too.
One phenomenon that has proven the inherent kindness of people is how motorcyclists have rallied round to help those most in need. Many of us have signed up to volunteer through initiatives such as the Bike Shed Community Response scheme, which has turned hundreds of volunteers from ordinary bikers into couriers of goodness, delivering PPE, food and medical supplies to keep the nation going. If you’re one of them, I salute you. If you’re not, but have time and inclination to help, sign up here: bikeshedcommunityresponse.com
As we ride through the summer, hopefully the situation will keep on improving, and we’ll soon see cafés, hotels and the rest of the hospitality industry back in action. Once that happens we can start to tour on our bikes again, and bring custom to the businesses who have seen a large chunk of their high season shackled by the virus. Until then, let’s enjoy our local rides, help those in need, and dream of the better days to come.
As pleasant as Cape Town is, it was nice to leave it for the promise of open roads, quirky little towns and the wild nature of South Africa.
Moving inland, the scenery changed. Gone was the lush greenery of the coast, and instead, we faced brown and dry flatlands, with the Hex River Mountains on the horizon.
It was nice to be on faster roads after the city and the Cape of Good Hope. Now we were able to get some miles under our belts as the wide and empty roads stretched out in front of us. It was great to be able to keep the pace brisk as the temperature had shot up to +34°C.
It was a joy to let the bikes stretch their legs, too. On the faster roads, the GS reminded me just why I had enjoyed riding it in the past. The light steering, agile chassis, sublime balance and millimetre-perfect riding geometry combined with a peppy engine and more electronics than I knew what to do with make it a fantastic bike on any roads – or indeed off-road, as we would find out in a couple of days.
As we got nearer to the mountains the barren landscape slowly turned more verdant, with vineyards and farms dotted here and there.
The red stones along the road added to the palette, and the shades of red, gold and green were constantly changing. I wondered if these colours were the inspiration behind the many colourful flags that African countries have.
The choice of BMW GSs for this tour is no coincidence or PR trick from the BMW-sponsored travel company. They are robust, comfortable and easy to ride, there is a good network of support in
South Africa, and they have big tanks to help you cover the long distances.
The highlight of our first proper day on tour was the nadgery Bainskloof Pass. It’s not tight and technical like the Stelvio or other chest-beating macho passes in the Alps, but because it’s easier to ride it’s also more enjoyable – you can actually appreciate the ride and the scenery, without having to concentrate on every inch travelled. The Tarmac is a bit bumpy in places, so attacking the corners with a Rossi-like enthusiasm is likely to end in tears.
Having cleared the pass we were in the lowlands again. It seems that most of the land is almost perfectly flat, with ribbons of mountains dissecting the plains every now and again – there’s very little in between, it’s either pancakes or rock buns.
Little Karoo
After a night in the small town of Montagu, our journey unravelled in a strange sort of reversal of the previous day.
Whereas yesterday we had headed towards the green vineyards and the lush scenery of farms, flowers and palm trees, today all of that gradually turned into the baking oven that was the Little Karoo.
As we crossed the Tradouws Pass into the Little Karoo, the ante-room of the semi-desert that is the Karoo, the temperature sky-rocketed. Staring at my bike’s dash in disbelief, blinking furiously to try and keep the sweat from running into my eyes, I was faced with a reading of +39°C. It was hot.
I had realised that it would be hot on this trip, so I had armed myself with an RST Adventure-X jacket and trousers, with ample ventilation. They are great items and the vents are fantastic when the temperature is still below +30°C, but as the mercury climbed up to the high 30s it became obvious that it doesn’t matter how well ventilated your kit is – it’s just too hot to ride in that heat. All you can do is pour water in your mouth and over your head at every opportunity and try not to concentrate on it being exceedingly hot.
We were now on Route 62, the old road from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, before the bigger and faster N2 highway was built.
It’s an iconic road, and a key part of the Garden Route.
Another iconic South African phenomenon we were about to experience was ‘load shedding’. This is basically when there is a shortage of electricity and the supply in different sections of the country is shut down for a couple of hours at a time.
At 8pm it was our region that had the big switch flicked off. We had almost finished our dinner when the lights went out, gas lights came out, and the waiter shrugged and said: “T.I.A. This Is Africa.”
Dirty old roads
All trips come to a culmination point, and now it was time to separate the boys from the men. We were based in Oudtshoorn, and faced a circular route taking in the Swartberg mountain passes with a long and
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technical gravel section. It was no picnic. The only riders to face the trek two-up were Terry and Nikki, who deserve a special mention for doing the day’s ride without an ounce of trouble. Meanwhile, the rest of us were hanging on for dear life, trying not to look over the edge or crash into the rock wall on the other side – and we had it easy, we were all riding solo.
Riding on dirt roads in bright sunshine is good. When your ride is occasionally interrupted by riding through clouds it’s even better. And when the view around you makes you feel like you’re on top of the world, that’s when it gets a little soppy and emotional. So, we’re not going to talk about that.
Our tour was only just getting started, but already I wondered how it could possibly get much better than this. It did. But that’s a story for the next issue.
Motorrad Tours
Run by MSL columnist Richard Millington, Motorrad Tours organises riding trips all over the world, from Scotland to South Africa. Motorrad Tours is an official BMW travel partner, so they always ride and hire BMWs although you are free to ride your own bike, whatever make it may be.
For further information: www.motorrad-tours.com
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